One in six workers in the UK has been bullied via e-mail, according to a new study.
A poll conducted by internet job site reed.co.uk showed that e-mail bullying is on the increase with those in the south west and London suffering most from cyber criticism.
Perhaps surprisingly, the higher up the office ladder people are, the more likely they are to be targeted by e-bullies.
While just 15% of secretaries claim to be the victim of such attacks, 28% of their bosses are being harassed via the inbox.
Examples of such bullying range from unfair comments sent by managers keen to avoid face-to-face confrontations to unwelcome personal remarks.
"I was bullied by my boss who would send me insults and belittle me by e-mail," complained one female administrator from London.
"In the end, I resigned," she added.
The problem is likely to affect productivity, the report says.
Some people find such bullying so distressing they need time off work, although nearly a third confront the bully and 22% talk the problem through with friends or managers.
News source: BBC News
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